Interlocking device for elevators



May 5, 1925.

F. c. I-IOLBERG. JR

INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS Filed Aug. 27, 192:5

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Patented May 5, i925.,

Laatste.

UNITED STATES .PATENT GFFICE.

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IW'IERLOCKING DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

To all fo/"tom it may conce/Mt:

Be it known that l, FRANK C. Hom-inne, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in interlocking Devices for Elevators, ot which the -t'ollowingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference beingA had to the accompanying drawings, which :torni a part et this speci-- .ticatiorr My invention relates to an improvement in elevator interlocking mechanism, especially to electric elevators.

Heretotore electr-ic elevators have been equipped with automatic control means whereby the elevator car may be started froml any floor and stopped automatically at any other door, selected when the car is started; It is usual to provide the shaft gates and car with interlocking devices, which, when the car is stopped opposite a landing, cooperate to release the gate for opening and prevent the car troni being operated when the gate is open;`

In connection with electric elevators which are automatically controlled, such as to which my invention is more particularly adaptable, the car and shaft are equipped with shoes which, when the car is level with a landing, cooperate to etiect a releaseot the gate locking mechanism' and act-nate a switch at the landing adapted to cut otf` the current. from tlie car when the gate is opened.`

The present devices, while satisfactory, are open to a number ot objections, partiel ularly in that the car shoe tends to strillze the shoes at the landings as the car passes without' stoppingl and in that a switch tor cutting otl the current tromrthecar is necessary to be provided at" each landing and 1s actuated by the door. L

A `further disadvantage of the present devices is that it is possible, as the car comes in line; with a landing at which it is not intended for it to stop, to` open the gate, thus cutting off the current troni the car and causing it to stop, which results, it the car be traveling empty, as is frequently the case, in it being possible to stealfthe car in its passage to a landing where 1t is desired.

In accordance with my invention, l provide an interlocking device wherein, in the starting oft the car, the car shoe is retracted so as to positively clear the gate shoes while 'the car is inimotion, being advanced to operative position when the car is stopped, thus preventing the possibility ot the gate being opened as the car passes a landing. Fur# ther, by virtue or' my invention, a switch tor cutting ol'f the current to prevent operation oii the car, when thelanding gate is opeinis positioned on the car and is actu ated, through actuation of the car shoe on opening ot a gate at any landing, to prevent operation ot the car after stopping at a landino'.

Thus, by virtue of my invention, striking ot the car and landingishoes, while the car is in motion, is eliminated and not only is the necessity tor a cnt-off switch at each door avoided, but the cut-ott switch can only be operated when the car is at rest opposite a landing, thus preventing the possibility ot stealing the car.

Having now indicated in a general way the nature, purpose and advantage ot my invention, l will proceed' to a detailed description ot a preferredembodiment thereot with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which Fig. l is a! partial tace view ot an eleva.-

tor shaft landing gate and of that portion 3';

ot the interlocking mechanism coacting therewithl y p Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view showing the coacting members ot the interlocking mechanisml Fig. 3 isa planyiew, partly in section, showing the coasting parts'ot the' interlockn ing mechanism and means tor withdrawing the ir shoe.`

Fig. il is a plan view showing the shoe withd kawin'g means and cut-oit` switch and connections, the parts being in the position occupied when the car is in motion.

Fie. 5 is a view showing'the subject of Fig. a witlithe parts in the position they occupy when the car is stopped opposite a landing. Y

Fig. 6 is a view showing the subject of Fig-a with the parts in the posit-ion they occupy when the landing gate is opened.

inside the elevator shat't at each landing is secured a plate a, which carries the lockmechanisin 4lor vthe landing gate y. e represents the floor ot an' elevator car, shown as on a level with a landing.

A bar 7) eXtends downward from the gate over the 'tace of plate a, the end of the bar being adapted to engage in a notch in a locking disc c, when the gate is closed or enly slightly open.

T he position ot bar and disc c, when the gate is fully closed, is shown in Fig. l.

A lug Z is positioned on disc c and the disc c is pressed outwarlly from behind by a spring, not shown. The lug Z is adapted, it' it be attenngited to open the gate when the car is not at a` landing, to contact with the end ot an angle piece e, secured to plate a, and stop the disc c betore the bar Z) can be withdrawn 'l'ron'i the disc, thus preventing the gate trom being opened.

'llisc c carries a cani surface adapted to underride the free end oit a plate 71., hinged on a vertical pivot to plate a. A ridge z", forming a shoe, is formed on the front or" plate 71 adjacent its tree end.

lit' new 'the plate 7Lr be prevented from swinging on its pivot until lug (Z has passed the end of angle piece e and it be attempted to open the door, plate 7L will, as disc c turns, press the disc back against the action of its spring and permit lug Z to pass behind angle piece e and continue to turn until another lug fl, on plate a, contacts with a stop g on plate a, by which time disc c will have been turned to a position at which rod Z; may freely slide out of its slot and the gate is tree to open. ln the movement ot disc c due to the action of cam f, the free end of plate 71, is swung outwardly after lug d has cleared the end of angle plate e.

in order to prevent plate t from swinging until lug (Z has cleared the end ot piece e, permitting the gate to be opened when the car is level with the landing, and in order to prevent operation ot the car when the gate is open, certain mechanism is carried by the car.

Beneath the car and extending parallel to the edge of the landing 'Floor is secured.

the angle Vtrame y through which extends a lsleeve 7e.

Vfithin the sleeve and connected to it. by a. slot and pin connection i) is a plunger Z pressed outwardly by ay spring w and having pinned to its forward end a shoe mf.

To the sleeve is pivotally connected one end of a link n, the other end of which is pivotally connected to an end of a second link 0, the other end of which is connected to a crank r and the movable member ot a switch s, and to a link 72 which is connected to a solenoid y. rThe links n and 0 form a toggle. A. spring t is connected with crank r and tends to hold it against stop u.

The switch s is connected with the line supplying power to actuate the car and is so arranged that if it be closed, power will be ,it oit7 from. the car and it cannot be actuated. The solenoid is connected with the control oi the car in such a manner that when the car is in motion current will be on the solenoid, and when the car is stopped the solenoid will be cut out.

rEhe operation of the device will now, it is believed, be apparent from observation ot Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Assuming that the car is in motion, current will enter the solenoid g and the toggle will be pulled to ret 1act shoe m, as shown in Fig. i. lt the car is stopped opposite a landing, the shoe m will lie opposite ridge t' on plate 7L, and on the stopping of the car current will be cut off from thc solenoid q and. the toggle will straighten out advancing shoe mclose to the ridge z' on plate 7L. 0n the opening of 'the gate, plate /t will be swung outwardly by lam surface f and shoe m will be pushed back, the movement being transmitted through the straightened toggle to open switch s, to cut ott the Current and prevent operation of the car, as shown in Fig. 6.

So long as the gate is 'open the parts will remain as shown in Fig. 6 and the car cannot be operated, but on closing the gate, the end of plate t is released lrom cam surface f and shoe m will be advanced by the spring t, acting on crank i, sutiiciently to effect a closing of switch s. lith switch s closed, the car may be operated and upon its being started current will enter solenoid y and effect the retraction of shoe m, as described.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by .lietters Patent is:

l. In an interlocking device for automatically controlled electric elevators in combination with a shaft, provided with a landing and a gate therefor, and an elevator car, a shoe at the landing adapted to be advanced on the opening ot' the door, a shoe on the car adapted to align with the landing shoe, when the car is on a level with the landing. and be retracted by the landing shoe when the gate is opened, a cubet switch on the car, means affording i. connection between the ear shoe and the said switch whereby, when said shoe is retracted on the openingl ot the gate, said switch will be operated to cut oli:l current from the car, and means adapted to effect retraction of said car Shoe without actuating said cut-off switch when the car is operated.

2. In an interlocking device for automatically controlled electric elevators in combination with a shaft. provided with a. landing and a gate therefor, and an elevator car, a shoe at the landing adapted to be advanced on the opening of the door, a shoe on the car adapted to align with the landing shoe, when the car is on a level with the landing, and be retracted by the landing shoe when the gate is opened. a cut-ott switch on the car, means affording a connection between said car shoe and said cut-oil switch whereby said cut-oli' switch will be actuated to cut oif current `from the car when the gate is opened, means to advance said shoe and actuate said switch to permit operation ot the car when the gate is closed, and means actuated electrically, when the car is operated, to retract the car shoe without actuating said cut-oli switch.

3. In an interlocking device for automatically controlled electric elevators in combination with a shaft, provided with a landing and a gate therefor, and an elevator car, a shoc at the landing` adapted to be advanced on the openingl ol" the door, a shoe on the car adapted to align with the landing shoe, when the car is on a level with the landing, and be retracted by the landing shoe when the gate is opened. a cut-oit` switch on the car, a solenoid. and a toggle affording connection between said car slice, said cut-ott' switch and said solenoid, said solenoidbeing so connected as to receive current when the car is operated and effect a retraction of said car shoe and to be cut o when the car is Stopped, permitting the car shoe to advance to a position for retraction bv said landing slice, on opening of the gate, to actuate said cut-ofi' switch to cut off current from the car.

el. In an interlocking device for automatically controlled electric elevators in combination with a shaft, provided with a land ing and a gate therefor, and an elevator car, a shoe at the landing adapted to be advanced on the opening of the door, a shoe on thc car adapted to align with the landing shoe, when the car is on a level with the landing. and be retracted by the landing shoe when the gate is opened, a cut-oil' switch on the car, a pair of pivotally connected rods affording a connection between said car shoe and said cutoi switch, a spring tending to maintain said cut-off switch in an inopera tive position and said car shoe advanced in a position for retraction by said landing shoe, a solenoid positioned above said rods. and a link pivotally connected to the movable element of said solenoid and to the pivotal connection of said rods, said solenoid being connected in circuit to receive current when the car'is operated and effect a retraction of said car shoe without actuating said cut-ott switch, and to be cut ot'f when said car is stopped, to permit said spring to advance said car shoe and said landing shoe to re tract said car shoe, whe'n the gate is opened, to effect actuation of said cut-off switch to out off current from the car.

In testimony of which invention, l have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa., on this 4th day of March, 1923.

FRANK c. HOLBERG, JR. 

